


Still awake

by What_point



Series: We are here, together. [5]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex Has Anxiety (Julie and The Phantoms), Author Is Sleep Deprived, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Multi, Reggie Has ADHD (Julie and The Phantoms)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27496624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/What_point/pseuds/What_point
Summary: Reggie finds himself unable to fall asleep, so he reflects on where home is for him, coming to a simple conclusion....Can be read as stand alone and found family with a bit of platonic cuddles in the end.(Normally I pick a part from the story for the summary but I couldn't find anything that included the whole text)
Relationships: Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: We are here, together. [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939318
Comments: 15
Kudos: 234





	Still awake

**Author's Note:**

> This is me projecting on Reggie with my own struggles in life, nothing more.

He is still awake.

He throws another dirty look at the chairs hanging from the ceiling, his nose scrunched, brows furrowed. Not that it helps. He squeezes his eyes shut, counting down to one in his head. The concept of sleep taunting him.

...

At first Reggie thought they didn’t need sleep, with the whole being ghosts-thing. They didn't need to eat, so why sleep? Well, that theory was quickly proven wrong after they had been awake for four days, (counting the day at the Orpheum too), and each of them had seemed to have forgotten how to play their instrument. Julie had  _ not _ been impressed with them.

They fortunately did— or not so fortunate if he believed Alex— only needed a few hours and not the normal 8+. So they would stay up late, joking, playing music, talking about some of the things that they never found time for when they were still alive, and when Julie woke up for school, they would too and it was all good.

Until the magic glowwy thing, and suddenly Alex and Luke had been washed over by a wave of tiredness. They started sleeping more, going to bed around an almost acceptable hour, back to how it had been when they were still Sunset Curve. At first Reggie didn't understand, till he was hit too. However, it didn't have the same effect on him, now he was tired all the time, but no sleep would come. He would lie awake for hours, just staring up at the ceiling, in a room that was abnormally quiet.

...

"Damn it," he mutters angrily under his breath, his own words loud in his ears. He quickly glances at Alex and Luke, but both are fast asleep, dead to the world. He pushes himself up more, watching as Alex breathes softly, his chest moving up and down with his breath. Alex's hand hangs off the side of the couch, fingers almost touching the floor. His other hand is lightly curled around the underside of the oversized t-shirt Reggie uses as pajama. Luke lays on his belly, his leg half thrown over Reggie’s. His face is pushed into the pillow, mouth half open, drooling, not making any sound. Reggie used to joke that Luke snores in his sleep, but in reality it is the time the boy is unnaturally quiet.

Whereas Reggie's own mouth never seemed to stop the endless flow of words his mind came up with, his hands always moving with the thoughts, Luke would always do something. It was impossible for him to not do something, just to do nothing and wait. He was always working on a song, thinking up a new melody, throwing darts, just anything to keep him from sitting still for just a second. And then they met Julie, who tried really hard to hide it from them, but she was just as bad at not doing anything at any given moment.

So their band was made out of a group of constantly active teenagers, which was a tiring thing in itself. Alex would seem to be the only exception of this rule for any outsider. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Anyone that actually knew Alex would tell you the same thing, the boy's brain was working in overdrive.

Reggie wasn't able to shut his own mouth for more than a few minutes, (to everyone's dismay in his childhood,) but Alex was scarily good at that part. His brain was going just as fast as the rest of them, most times even faster, and you wouldn't know that by looking at him. His only clear tells were the way his fingers drumped on any surface, the way he turned his drumsticks in his hand. And when it really got bad, he would start pacing. But because his mind was racing so fast, it was easy for him to spiral, hopping from a negative point to the next one. That's why it was good to see him sleep, his mind in rest for once.

Reggie normally likes it when he can watch them sleep. They are both peaceful and calm, something they miss in their life nowadays. Watching them helps him relax, resulting in him falling asleep himself. Only not today.

He gently removes Alex's hand from the hem of his shirt, Alex makes a soft sound, but doesn’t stir. He shifts from underneath Luke's leg and Luke frowns almost invisibly. He stands up, trying to be as quiet as possible.

While you would also think ghosts wouldn't feel temperature anymore, they did, and he was cold. He pushes his feet in his shoes, uncaring about the existence of socks and shoelaces. He grabs around in the dark for his flannel, but finds Alex's hoodie instead. He stares at the pink material, before shrugging and putting it on. Luke's orange beany is almost visible on the coffee table. He pushes it in the hoodie’s front pocket.

He glances at them for one last time, Alex has turned to his side, hand reaching into the space he previously occupied. Luke is just as unmoving as always, but the frown is still there. He poofs out.

And almost breaks his ankle as he lands on the beach. He cusses, kicking the sand. It doesn't do much good though, instead resulting in a jolt of pain shooting up his leg.

With a sigh he lets himself fall down to the ground, giving him a déjà vu to the first day in the future. He pulls out Luke's beany, letting his fingers run over the ragged material.

The sounds of the sea licking at the beach, the wind blowing through the leaves, an almost inaudible song from somewhere far away, fill the night. He feels himself cool down, the sand cold, but dry against his legs, the thin layer of fabric not helping to keep him warm. The air is like those mornings where you're on your way to school, the sun yet to rise, the world distant and unresponsive. He puts on the beany, not wanting to completely ruin the elastic by keeping on pulling on it.

After a while, when the clouds drift away, showing the moon behind them and some lost stars, he stands up. He starts walking past the shore, the water splashing up quietly when he steps too much to the right. He keeps on walking, even when the beach stops and a road takes over.

There is nobody anywhere. The soft music he had heard on the beach had disappeared minutes after he came, leaving only the sound of nature.

He looks back to where his house used to be, the advertisement board reflects the glare of the streetlight. He expects to feel a certain amount of longing or at least nostalgia. Only for it to never come, he averts his eyes, even though it isn't his house. Hasn't been his house in a long time.

_ Maybe it never has been my home. _

This thought does provoke a reaction, with a pained look he glances back at the bike shop. He doesn't feel any need to figure out what happened to his parents, just as he doesn't want to know if his death broke them. They haven't been his family, his home in a long time, and maybe that's okay.

As if the universe is telling him to stay positive, a group of teenagers ride past the shop on their bicycles, with loud music that he barely recognizes playing from a speaker. They are singing even louder, completely of key, but that almost seems to be the point, as they all laugh. One throws up their arm dramatically to the music, and even from where he stands he can see the expressions on their faces. The music fades with them as the group rides away, leaving him to listen to the last notes of their laughter.

He poofs back.

He stares at the big heavy doors of the studio. He feels better now, but not like he would be able to sleep. He glances up, at the moon that slips past the roof line, and poofs onto the roof, surprising himself. He settles, feet resting on the slope of the roof, looking out at the street.

It is quiet, but a good quiet. One that brings peace as the world rests. He watches the stars and clouds for a bit before his eyes wander back to the space in front of the garage. The doors softly creak open and a somewhat awake Luke shuffles out.

"Regs?" He mumbles, sleep clear in his voice.

"Up here." Luke slowly looks up, and proceeds to stare at him for almost a full minute. Then he poofs in right next to him.

He slumbs against him, and Reggie places his arm around Luke's shoulders, because he doesn't know if ghosts can break bones by falling off garages, but he knows he doesn't want to find out.

"Why are you awake?" He gently asks, teasing lightly, he knows how much Luke hates waking up in the middle of the night.

"Can ask the same of you." Luke grumbles back, placing his head on his shoulder at the same time.

He lets out a snort, squeezing Luke's shoulder softly, before resting the side of his face against the top of Luke's head.

"I couldn't sleep, did I wake you?"

Luke shrugs, which feels funny.

"I woke up because Alex was hogging the blankets and you weren't there."

"I'm sorry," he says, unable to keep the smile of his lips, "I'll help you with your blanket problem when we get back inside, alright?"

Luke nods, pouting slightly.

"You will stay, sleep too?" Luke asks, playing with the ring on Reggie's ring finger.

"Yeah, I think I almost feel like I can."

Luke stops, looking up at him hazzlely, opening his mouth to say something, but instead he just blinks a few times. Seconds pass. Reggie is contemplating to wave his hand in Luke’s face, when the boy closes his mouth, yawns and then speaks up, "Is your sleep problem being an ass again?"

"Yeah, since the glowwy thing."

"I will fight it." Luke mutters, his eyes closed. His hands form tired fists in his lap.

"You can't, but thank you." Reggie softly taps on Luke's knuckles till they relax again. Luke only hums, collapsing back against him.

"I think we should get you back into bed, we wouldn't want to explain to Julie why we fell off the studio's roof, do we?" Luke just hums again, leaning as a dead weight against him.  _ Which he technically is. _

He chuckles at his own joke. Luke tilts his head slightly his way, eyes still closed, a silent question. Reggie smiles, brushing his fingers through Luke's hair, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Alright, we're going to poof to down there, make sure you have your feet underneath you." He tells Luke, unsure if he actually hears it and if he does, if he is awake enough to understand it.

"Okay, here goes nothing." He says to himself, poofing down. Luckily everything seems fine. Luke has opened his eyes half, looking at him to his lashes.

"That's my beany." He grins, before closing his eyes again.

"It is." Reggie says, grabbing his hand, leading him slowly to the doors. He slips in, Luke on his heels. Luke stumbles to the bed, letting himself fall forwards, face planting into the mattress. The shock causes Alex to stir.

He looks up, his eyes watery, "You back?" He mutters, blinking sleepily up at him.

"Yeah." He smiles down, pushing his feet out of his shoes.

"Mmmmh," Alex blinks again, before rubbing slowly in one eye, "where did ya go?"

Reggie scoots down the bed, squeezing between Alex and Luke. Luke's side presses like a solid warmth against his back. Alex turns towards him.

"Went to the beach, needed a reset." Alex nods, though it looks more like his head falling forwards because of sleep and him waking up slightly by the shock.

"Ya be'er now?" Alex asks, pulling softly at the stings of his own hoodie that Reggie is still wearing.

"Yeah, I am."

Alex nods in himself, "good, good." He tries to pat Reggie's cheek, but misses it, and instead just pushes his hand against Reggie's entire face.

He gently removes Alex's hand, intertwining their fingers instead.

"Let's go to sleep, okay."

Alex nods again, the tired smile on his lips breaking because of a jawn.

“Yeah, sleep.” mutters, clearly already halfway there.

“Goodnight.” luke mumbles, turning on his side, placing his arm around his waist. Reggie smiles in himself, knowing it will be the last movement the singer will make till he wakes up. He watches as Alex slowly drifts off, their fingers still intertwined.

And it doesn’t matter that he only falls asleep hours later, because he knows he will get through this. He knows they are here for him, and that is more than enough.

So he is still awake.

But he hasn’t felt this rested in a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> I think it’s ironic that I wrote this because I couldn’t sleep myself. Autism and ADD really are a power compo together.  
> Just like always, leave any tips, tricks, or something you want to share in the comments.


End file.
